A picture of a polling station and sign in Glasgow.
Polling places are opening around the country (Picture: PA)

After six long weeks of General Election campaigning, Brits finally made their choice – and it was a landslide victory for the Labour party.

After watching Sir Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak and other party leaders like Nigel Farage battle it out, voters had just one thing left to do – cast their ballots, and they really didn’t want to mess things up at the last moment.

Voting is really simple, but you will still need to remember some things when heading to your local polling station.

For future elections – be it local elections or, perish the thought, another General Election, what do you need in order to cast your vote?

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Can I vote without my polling card?

If you’ve registered to vote, you should have received a polling card through the door at some point in recent weeks.

The card will tell you where you should go to fill out your ballot – but you do not need to take your polling card to vote.

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Once you arrive at the station (at some point between 7am and 10pm), staff might ask your name and address.

Until 2022, this was all they needed. But since the Elections Act passed that year, you must also bring a valid form of photo ID.

That may be a passport, a driving licence (as long as it was issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state), a Blue Badge, or any other form of ID listed by the Electoral Commission on its website.

People may also use a Voter Authority Certificate, a document introduced specifically for people who do not have another form of official ID.

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The deadline to apply for the certificate was June 26.

Those in Northern Ireland can’t use a Voter Authority Certificate – instead, a separate option called an Electoral Identity Card can be used. It has the same purpose as the certificate in providing ID for those without another valid form.

If all goes to plan, the staff at the polling station will cross your name off their list, and you can go ahead to place your vote.

List of accepted forms of ID

  • Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country (including an Irish Passport Card) 
  • Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
  • Blue Badge
  • Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
  • Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
  • Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
  • 60+ London Oyster Photocard funded by Transport for London
  • Freedom Pass
  • Scottish National Entitlement Card issued for the purpose of concessionary travel (including a 60+, disabled or under 22s bus pass)
  • 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
  • Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
  • Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Biometric residence permit
  • Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • National identity card issued by an EEA state
  • Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
  • Voter Authority Certificate
  • Anonymous Elector’s Document

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